Word Origin & History

Old English bryce "breach, fracture, a breaking," from brecan (see break), influenced by Old French breche "breach, opening, gap," from Frankish; both from Proto-Germanic *brecho, *bræko "broken," from PIE root *bhreg- "to break" (see fraction). Figurative sense of "a breaking of rules, etc." was in Old English Breach of contract is at least from 1660s.

Example Sentences for breached

Where they breached he broke through and waved his sword laughing.

Twice the ramparts were breached, and only nightfall had saved the situation.

The heavy mud walls of the capital had to be breached with mines.

By and by it breached and was out of sight for a short time.

West of Crater Lake is an instance of a crest that has thus been breached.

The walls of Casa Mata had not been breached, and there were no ladders.

The wall of sandbags was tumbled and breached in all directions.

"And there's no question of promise, breached or otherwise," said John.

As a precaution we had previously breached the wall around the churchyard.

Most of the cargo hold was intact, but the walls had been breached, and the air was gone.